


Verisimilitude

by kymberlyblack



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-02-23
Packaged: 2018-03-14 20:11:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3423992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kymberlyblack/pseuds/kymberlyblack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Born to a wealthy and prominent New York family, Ava Broady had a wonderful, albeit easy and boring life ahead of her. Until one night, when the city showed her it didn't care about privilege, about family names and bank accounts. But where there is darkness, there must also be light and she finds herself rescued by the unlikeliest set of brothers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Verisimilitude

I make no money off this stuff, so don't sue me! 

I hated New York sometimes. It was dirty, smelly and packed so full of people we were all living like sardines most of the time. And then there were the times I loved New York. Like during the ball drop on new years eve, a crisp fall morning in the park with coffee....  
But tonight I hated New York. Why? Because I was just mugged, having lost my purse and my left shoe in the altercation. Now I was without identification, money, keys to my home and a few other less important things. Like my dignity. I was going to say at least it wasn't raining, but that started a few minutes ago.  
When New York's finest showed up, I was soaked, sitting on the sidewalk near the alley in which my attack commenced.  
“Ma'am?” I looked up into the older cops face and forced a small, tight smile. “It's gonna be alright sweetheart.”  
I nodded and let him help me to my feet.   
“Can you tell me what happened?”  
I swallowed and nodded.  
“I was walking home, just the usual and then suddenly he was there, grabbing my purse from my arm.”  
“Where did he come from?”  
“The alley,” I pointed with a jut of my chin. “I didn't even see him until he had a hold of me.”  
“This where he hit you?” the older cop asked, pointing to my no doubt swollen lower left lip.   
“Yeah.”  
“Got a description for me?”  
I shook my head.  
“He had his face covered. Only his eyes were showing.”  
“Like a ski mask?”  
“No...there was a slit where his eyes were showing, but not round holes. Kind of like a long rectangle.”   
“Like a ninja mask?” the younger officer asked, moving forward.  
“I guess yeah. Kind of like that.”  
“What color?”  
“I couldn't tell. It was dark.”  
He nodded and stepped back.  
“Alright, let's get you down to the precinct for a full statement.”  
I nodded my head and got into the back of the car.

Three hours later-

I was at my door, my spare key in my hand. My face was pounding. The doctor said nothing was fractured or broke. But I would have a nasty bruise come morning. I had already called and explained the situation to the credit card companies, my cards were canceled and new ones were being issued. The rest of the stuff would have to wait until morning.  
I locked the door to my brownstone quickly, double checking it before I moved through the rest of the house. I turned on every light, checked every window to make sure it was locked. With a shaky hand I picked up the land line. I dialed his number from memory, he answered it within two rings.  
“Honey I'm really busy,” he began.  
“I got mugged on the way home,” the damn broke and I began to sob.   
“What!? Are you alright?”  
I couldn't talk for a few minutes, I just cried. All the fear and everything else I had repressed had come flooding out at once.  
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I'm sorry. I'm okay.”  
He let out a breath.  
“You really scared my there Ava,” he sighed.   
“I didn't mean too, it all just caught up to me at once.”   
“From now on your being picked up and dropped off. I'll call the car service tonight.”  
“I don't think that will be necessary,” I tried to argue.  
“No buts Ava.”  
I smiled, but it was sad.   
“I miss you dad,” I mused.  
“I can be on the next flight home.”  
“No, it's alright. I'm okay, really. Just a swollen lip and a shaken sense of security. I'll be fine after a good nights rest.”  
“You're sure?”  
“Positive.”  
“I don't know what I would do if I lost you to kiddo,” he said suddenly.  
“I'm not going anywhere dad.”  
He sighed.   
“I'll be home in about three days,” he told me.   
“Unless something comes up,” I finished for him.  
“That's right,” I could hear the smile in his voice.  
“I love you.”  
“Love you too.”  
I set the phone back down in the cradle and waited. What for I had no idea. I suddenly remembered that I locked the doors but didn't engage the alarm system. I moved quickly from the kitchen to the front door. I was at the panel when I saw movement through the frosted glass of my front door. I quickly punched in the code and ran back to the kitchen.   
I didn't know what to do, exactly. Call the police? But what if it was my imagination? I debated the issue for a few moments before picking up the phone and calling my uncle Hugh.  
“Broady residence,” a thick Spanish voice answered.   
“Is Hugh home? It's his niece Ava.”  
“One moment.”  
I moved into the hallway that led to the front door and waited.   
“Ava? What's wrong?”   
“I was mugged earlier and I think they followed me back to my house,” I hurriedly spat out.  
“Wait, you were mugged? Are you alright? Did you call your dad?”  
“I'm okay, I'm fine. But I can see shadows moving on the porch,” I whispered without even meaning too.  
“Ava, listen to me very carefully. Are the doors locked?”  
“Yes.”  
“Is the alarm armed?”  
“Yes.”  
“Mary is calling the police and I am on the way over. Stay on the phone with me, okay?”  
“I'm scared,” I squeaked out, terror flooding my system.   
“Just stay calm Ava,” he panted out. He must be running. He only lived about three blocks from our house in his own brownstone.   
The glass shattered and the door splintered suddenly, causing the alarm system to begin wailing at an incredible decimal.  
I screamed but didn't have time for much else. Something hit my stomach and I suddenly felt electricity coursing through me. My legs gave out and I fell in a crumbled heap. My body wouldn't move, and when I tried, another agonizing round of pain shot through me.   
“Be a good girl and I won't shock you again,” a male voice reached my ears as I tried to lift my head.  
“Tsk Tsk.”  
This time the pain was worse. I couldn't even scream, my muscles danced under my skin as if they were trying to rip free from my bones. I felt heat on my legs and realized that my bladder had released itself. I had a few more seconds to realize someone was hovering over me, and then darkness took me.

I screamed in fear and shock when suddenly I was doused with ice cold liquid. I opened my eyes, momentarily confused about what was going on. But then it came back and I began to panic.  
“Easy now love,” a man placated me, coming forward out of the shadows. He was dressed head to toe in a dark purple color. It took me less time than it did to blink to recognize him as a purple dragon. They were all over the news.  
“Pl..Pl..Please,” my teeth chattered as I tried to beg him for mercy.  
“Please what?” I didn't have to see his face to know he was smiling cruelly at me. I began to struggle, the binds on my wrists cutting painfully. I became aware in stages. I was tied to a chair, with my arms behind my back. The rope was heavy and rough. My ankles were given the same treatment. I couldn't see anything beyond the circle of light I was sitting under.  
“Please what little girl?”  
My lip began quivering. My feelings of vulnerability increased when I realized I was only in my under garments.   
“Please don't hurt me.”  
“That depends on you. I warned you not to move, didn't I?”  
I didn't respond. A flashback snapped into my mind of earlier, a man, this man, warning me not to move, my disobedience coincided with me being shocked again.  
“Didn't I?” he growled, moving quickly to grab my chin.  
“Ye..yes,” I whispered.  
“Follow my rules and you'll find I can be a very reasonable man Miss Broady.”  
My eyes widened at the use of my name. He didn't miss this and laughed at me.  
“Oh yes, I know all about you Ava. Daughter of Harry Broady, King of Wallstreet.”  
I felt my mouth go dry. He was after money.  
“Tell me Ava, does your father love you?”  
I looked up at him. He was so close I could see his soulless gray eyes.  
“You better hope he does, or this room will be your tomb.”  
Tears began to spill down my cheeks in lazy rivers.  
“He's not home right now,” I replied shakily.   
“Away on business in Hong Kong. I know Ava. I know everything that concerns you and your family.”  
“He'll pay you whatever you want,” I sobbed. “Just please let me go.”  
He clicked his tongue at me.  
“Follow the rules Ava, and you'll be just fine.”  
I didn't believe him, and he knew it. I saw the crinkles around his eyes as he smiled under his mask.  
“Smart girl,” he said and then turned and left. I chocked back a sob. They were going to kill me as soon as they got the money. 

 

Lair-

A news broadcast blared across several computer and TV screens at once. The five inhabiting the space stopped what they were doing and watched.  
“Breaking news; Ava Broady, daughter of Wallstreet billionaire Harry Broady, was kidnapped this evening from her family's New York home earlier this evening. NYPD and the FBI have formed a task force and are asking for the public's help. If you have any information please call the crime stoppers number at the bottom of the screen. The family is prepared to offer a substantial sum to the safe return of the young woman.”  
The news shifted, but not away from Ava. Instead it began to focus on the young woman's life. She was nineteen, an undergraduate of Columbia University. She was an active member of the community, donating generously to a number of organizations and volunteering for several others. Pictures of the dark haired, fair skinned, bright green eyed woman flashed on the screen.   
“Smart,” Donny commented out loud.  
“What?” Mikey asked, looking at his brother quizzically.   
“Putting photos and videos of her all over like this. It's smart. They are bringing her alive. Giving her back her humanity. If the kidnappers are watching, it might help them stop seeing her as just an object. If they see her as a person, it will be more difficult to kill her.”  
Mikey turned back to the TV.  
“What are we doing sittin' on our asses?” Raph raged. “Let's go find that girl.”  
“It's not that simple,” Leo began.  
“Sure it is. We find her, we save her.”  
“Where do you suggest we start Rambo?” Leo snapped. “Every agency in New York is looking for this girl.”  
“Donny, can you hack the FBI database?”  
“Sure,” Donny replied, getting up and heading over to his command center. “What exactly am I looking for?”  
“Anything about the girl. Evidence, something.”  
The brothers formed a horseshoe behind Donny's chair, watching as he pulled things up and then quickly exited them.  
“Not much to go on,” he sighed, pulling up some photo's. He scanned through them quickly.   
“Wait,” Leo commanded. “Go back.”  
Donny brought up the previous picture.   
“Zoom in by the door. There, a little to the left.”  
“What's that?” Mikey asked.  
“Fabric of some kind,” Donny squinted, trying to get a better look at the small scrap.  
“Purple fabric,” Leo growled.   
It dawned on all of them at once.  
“Shoulda known,” Raph snarled.   
“It makes sense. We cut them off from their main source of income, and now they are desperate.”  
“You just say this was our fault?” Raph roared. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.   
“Well, ultimately, if we hadn't disrupted their revenue stream, they wouldn't have been forced to look elsewhere for alternate sources of income.”  
“So yes then dude?” Mikey asked, feeling sickly.   
“Inadvertently, yes. But we couldn't possibly have calculated...”  
“Enough,” Leo stopped him mid-sentence. His eyes were slits in his mask. “We find the girl.”

Ava's POV

I screamed from sensory overload as more ice water was dumped over my head. My teeth were chattering so hard I thought I would chip them. The gray eyed devil, as I liked to think of him, just laughed.  
“Your father is home and gathering the money as we speak.”  
My body was shivering violently, trying to keep me warm. I remained silent, but continued to glare at him.  
“Your false bravado is almost convincing Ava,” he chuckled.  
I flexed my fingers, trying to get some blood flowing back into them. I stopped trying to bring my feet back to life hours ago. I had struggled so hard that they were now so raw every time I moved them they bled.   
“Go away,” I snarled. Only it came out as little more than a whisper. I had screamed for hours and hours to no avail. And as a result, my voice was hoarse.   
“What was that?”  
“I said GO AWAY!”  
The slap knocked me and my chair to the ground painfully. I was righted quickly, only to be hit again. This time not as hard. My chair wobbled, but landed back on it's feet. I could feel blood leaking out of a cut somewhere high on my head, snaking it's way down to join the stream pouring out of my lip.  
“Ava, Ava. What did I tell you about following the rules?”  
My head was pounding, my whole body hurt. All I had left was my mind, and that was slowly slipping away from me. Every part of me wanted to just do as he said, make it easier on myself. But another part of me, a part I didn't know I had, told me to fight back. To do everything I could to disobey him.  
“You're wondering why you should bother obeying me when I plan to kill you any way.”  
I couldn't hide the surprise I felt.   
“You're easy to read Ava. Obedient girls get special treatment. Naughty girls....well naughty girls get punished.”  
Isn't that what he was doing to me right now?  
“I haven't even begun to punish you Ava,” he leaned in close. I was once again shocked by his incredible ability to seemingly know what I was thinking.   
“I can hurt you in ways your privileged little mind has never fathomed.”  
“Why are you so cruel?” I whispered. It was the only thing I could think to say. What happened to this man, to make his eyes look like that? To make him resort to this sort of thing. I seemed to shock him, at least momentarily. I took the opportunity to continue.  
“I have never seen your face, I have no idea where I am. Why can't you just take the money and let me go. Why do I have to die?”  
This time it was a fist. He hit me so hard in my stomach that I threw up all over my lap. I felt like I couldn't breathe. But it didn't last for long. He hit me again, and everything went black. 

-

I woke to voices. I felt cool skin touching my neck.  
“Her pulse is thready, but she's alive.”  
“Can we move her?”  
“I can't tell, we need to remove her binds first.”  
I felt the hands move to my feet and pain like a bolt of lightning shot up from my ankles. I let out a yelp of pain. Someone else yelled in response.   
“She scared me.”  
Only when a light came on did I realize it had been dark. I closed my eyes against the blinding harshness of it.  
“Oh...”   
The voice sounded shocked.  
“Oh man, look at her.”  
“She needs a hospital, fast.”  
“I need to cut these ropes off her first. Miss Broady, I'm going to cut off your binds. It's going to hurt, so um, brace yourself.”  
He moved quick, cutting the thick rope. The pain was nothing compared to when he began to unwind it from my legs. I screamed, I couldn't help it. It felt like he was peeling my skin off.  
“All done,” I finally opened my eyes. Kneeling down in front of me was a large, green...man? Person? It had to be the pain, messing with my perception of things. His brown eyes were remarkably human-like. Soft, kind. Nothing like the gray eyed devils'. I noticed a purple bandana he had drawn around his eyes. And a pair of strange goggles on his head.   
“It's going to be alright,” his soft voice tore me away from observing him so furiously. I felt a tug behind me, and my arms sprang forward, back into the proper position. And it was agony. Just like my feet, the ropes had to be peeled off my flesh.  
“We're going to get you out of here,” the purple banded green creature told me. I looked at his still kneeling form through tear blurred eyes.  
“Are you real?” I asked, lifting a cold, dead feeling hand to touch him. I was aiming for his face, but I could only make it to his elbow before my arm gave out. He caught it and I realized he had three large fingers. He gave a gentle squeeze.   
“We're real,” he replied. We?  
I looked around and noticed three more like him. Different colored eye masks, but same appearance.  
“Thank God,” I sighed in relief. And then my body sagged, no longer being held in place on the chair by the ropes.   
“Easy,” the blue eyed one caught me before I slammed into the ground. “Let's move out.”  
I felt myself being lifted up and cradled against something cool and hard.   
“You're almost home,” he said. I felt the damn break and tears flowed freely from my eyes. Not from fear or pain. But from relief and joy.   
“Thank you,” I cried.

48 hours later-

I smiled at my father as he held my coat up for me to slide my arms into. After forty eight hours under observation, and several psych screenings, I was being discharged from the hospital.   
But I was alive because of them. The four green creatures who rescued me. Who brought me to the rear of the hospital, and waited to make sure I was found. I owed them everything.  
“Ava?” my dad's voice found me and shook me out of my memories.   
“What?”  
“Are you sure you are all right? Maybe you should stay another night?” his eyes were full of worry.  
“No, I'm alright. I was just thinking.” I swallowed and held out my hand for him to take.   
“It's a circus out there right now honey. Everybody wants to to talk to you.”  
I nodded my head but remained silent.   
“Do you think you'll ever be able to talk about it sweetheart?” he asked, looking at me with sad eyes.  
“What do you want to know?” I whispered. The psychologist told me that it might take months, or even years for me to process everything that happened to me in the dark. But I felt like he was wrong. I remembered everything that man did to me, everything that happened with startling clarity. And I remembered them.  
“Who found you?” he asked. I knew it was the question burning on everyone's mind.   
“They saved my life. And all they asked for in return was anonymity. It's the least I can do for them.”  
He seemed to think on it for a few seconds before nodding his head. Then he embraced me carefully.  
“Whoever they are, I owe them.”

-Lair

“It's on! It's on!” Mikey screamed, jumping the small divider and standing in front of sea of screens. The rest of the brothers hurriedly followed.  
“This is nerve wracking,” Donny said, shifting and nervously pushing his glasses up onto his face.  
“She promised,” Mikey reminded them. No one spoke as the camera panned over to Ava, her face clean but bruised and battered. She looked a hundred times better than when they had last seen her. They listened as she answered questions from reporters, and journalists. Then it happened.  
“Ava, what about the people who rescued you? Why won't you reveal their identities?”  
“Because they asked me not to.”  
“Why?”  
She shrugged her elegant shoulders.   
“They have their reasons, I'm sure. But I do have something to add, just in case they are watching this.”  
She turned and looked directly into the cameras.  
“I want to thank you. I know that it isn't enough, that it will never be enough. I have no clever analogies, no proper way to describe the magnitude of what you have done for me. I hope you know how special you are. How wonderful, fantastic and utterly beautiful you are.”  
She had tears shimmering in her green eyes as she paused.  
“And if there is ever anything I can do, if you ever need anything, please call on me.”  
“And me,” Harry Broady spoke up. “There isn't enough money in all the world to repay you for what you did. You saved my child's life. And for that I will forever be in your debt. You're heroes, don't ever forget that.”  
Harry escorted his daughter from the small stage and into the waiting arms of her family and many security personal.  
“My sons,” Splinter smiled proudly at his children. They turned to look at him, each one of their faces beguiling their emotions. “I have never been more proud.”  
“He called us heroes,” Mikey spoke first, his voice thick.  
“You are,” Splinter replied. “That woman lives because of you.”  
“She knows about us,” Leo's voice was almost normal. Almost.  
“I do not believe she will be a problem,” he replied. Initially he had been nervous but she had proven to be fiercely loyal when it came to keeping the identity of her rescuers.  
“She hasn't told the police anything,” Donny piped up from his newly retaken seat in front of the computers. He was quickly flipping through the reports surrounding her abduction and rescue.  
“She promised,” Mikey stated again.  
“People lie Mikey,” Raph reminded him.  
Mikey didn't say anything to that.  
“What do you think she meant, when she told us we could call on her for anything?” Donny asked absently as he deleted the the case file from his hard drive.  
2 months later-

I was in class when a text popped up from a number I didn't recognize. I opened it and froze. It said, 'Meet us where we dropped you off. We need a favor.'   
I was just about to chalk it up to a wrong number when a picture message came through. It was a shot of one of their three fingered hands. I hurriedly responded back, asking what time.  
'Nine pm, come alone.'  
'I'll be there.'  
I felt butterflies erupt in my stomach. It was 8 now and the hospital they brought me to was all the way across town. I gathered my things and left in a flurry, ignoring the protests of my professor.  
The taxi dropped me off in the front at 8:47 and I walked around to the back, ignoring the looks I was getting from the orderlies and nurses smoking. I walked until I was in the deserted loading area where they had first brought me. Then I waited.   
I checked my watch, a Patek Philippe Twenty 4 watch. It had been my gift to me for my birthday last year. It said it was 8:01.  
“You came alone,” the voice startled me, and I caught the scream before it came out.  
“Of course I did,” I replied, turning around to see my saviors. They were all there, all four of them. I smiled.  
“We have a favor to ask,” the blue masked one spoke, moving closer to me.  
“Name it.”   
He nodded his head at the tall, purple banded one. He came forward and I watched as he opened a beat up looking laptop. He turned it around so I could see it. I leaned in, and glanced at what was on the screen. Some sort of technical equipment, I had no idea what it was or what it was for.   
I dropped my Michael Kors messenger bag to the ground and began to root around in it for my wallet. I found it after a few seconds. I opened it and slid out the black bank card. It was for my trust fund. I left everything open on the ground and handed it to the blue masked one.  
“It's for my trust fund. The pin number is 1780.”  
He didn't immediately take it from me.   
“You aren't going to ask what it is?” he asked.  
“What is it?” I asked, a bemused smile on my face.  
“A military grade motherboards and such” the purple one replied. He seemed excited. I nodded and held out my hand again.  
“It's expensive,” the purple one closed the beat up looking laptop carefully and put it in a pack on his back.  
“See this watch?” I asked, moving a little closer so they could take a good look at the gold watch on my wrist.  
He nodded his head.  
“It runs at about $285,500. I bought it for myself for my last birthday.”  
His brown eyes widened a bit.  
“It didn't even make a dent in my trust fund.”  
“You're father's net worth is only..” the purple one began but I stopped him with hand in the air.  
“My trust fund comes from my mothers side of the family. Her maiden name was Rothschild. When she died, her trust joined mine.”  
I wondered if maybe they didn't know who the Rothschild's were. I was about to ask them when the orange banded one moved forward and hugged me. It started me, but I kept my calm. If they had meant me harm, they would have probably done it already. Lord knows they were capable. They were each easily over six feet, and heavily muscled. The one in the red mask was the largest, as far as that went. But the purple one was taller.   
“Ease up Mikey,” blue band pulled him away from me.   
“Sorry,” he put his hands up in the air. “Sorry Ava.”  
“It's alright,” I forced out. It was unbelievable, what ever they were, however they came about. I stared at them in wonder once again.  
“You're staring,” the red one grumbled out.  
“I'm sorry. I thought I would never see any of you again.” I felt tears prick my eyes.   
“Ah man,” red snorted at my sniffling.  
I laughed lightly and used my unoccupied hand to brush the tears off my cheeks.  
“I don't know what you are, or how you came to be, but I am extremely glad for the circumstances that brought you into my life.”  
I grasped the blue ones hand, he seemed to be the leader of them all, and placed the bank card in his large hand.  
“I can't do much but I can provide monetary support. Let me do that much for you at least.”  
His blue eyes locked with my green ones for a few moments before he nodded.  
“Alright.”  
I smiled and let go of his hand.  
“You should buy yourself a new laptop,” I addressed the purple one. His kind brown eyes flicked over to me as I gathered my things from the ground. I hoisted the bag onto my shoulder, intending on walking away.   
“If you need anything else,” I spoke to them as I walked, “You know how to reach me.”

I had just walked out of the salon, my hair freshly trimmed, when I got a delivery notification. I was momentarily confused, I hadn't ordered anything. Then it struck me. They must have ordered something. But why did it come to me?  
I raced home and opened the door to the foyer, and sitting inside were several large packages. The labels on the outside were in a foreign language so I was unable to tell what they were.  
I pursed my lips in thought before taking out my phone and sending a text to the number they had originally sent one to me from.   
'Several packages arrived today, I assume they are yours.'  
I went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. I sighed. It seemed we never had groceries in the house. I shut the fridge and headed over to the small drawer directly beside it. I pulled it open with some difficulty and began removing restaurant take out menus.

Twenty minutes later-

I had it narrowed down to three choices. Chinese, Indian and a pizza place I favored. The deciding factor was my lack of soda, which only the pizza place offered. I ordered a large pepperoni, with extra cheese and a two liter of coke. I jogged up the stairs to get cash out of the safe. A glance out of my dads office told me it was getting dark, the street lights already twinkling. Winter was just around the corner.   
I danced down the stairs, feeling like watching something funny. Probably something with Melissa McCarthy. She killed me.   
“My anaconda don't, my anaconda don't, my anaconda don't want none unless you got buns hun,” I shook my ass as I sang all the way from the foot of the stairs and through the hallway, intending on going to set up the tv in the den across the way. My booty shaking stopped immediately when I slammed into something mid move. I turned, at fist thinking I miscalculated during my terrible attempt at twerking and slammed into one of the large columns that were at the mouth of the den.   
It was the large red banded turtle.  
“Oh,” I gasped and quickly removed my body from the front of him. “I'm so sorry.”  
I heard laughter and looked over to the see the rest of them. The orange banded one, Mikey, I believe he was called, was laughing at me.  
“How...?” I was confused. The alarm was on, all the windows and doors were locked.  
“I bypassed your security system remotely,” the bespectacled purple wearing one explained. He glanced behind me and quickly hurried forward to the boxes on the floor.  
“You didn't open them?” he asked as he knelt down next to examine one of the boxes.  
“Of course I didn't. They're not mine.”  
The doorbell made me jump and grasp the large one next to me in surprise and fear. When I realized it was just the doorbell, I laughed lightly and let go of his arm.  
“Sorry.”  
“Expecting company?” the blue one asked, moving forward.  
“No, it's probably just the pizza guy.”  
“Ahh yeah dude!” Mikey exclaimed, fist pumping the air.  
“You like pizza?” I asked, smiling. They seemed so..ordinary. Except for their appearance of course.  
The doorbell sounded again and I fast walked over to the entry door, shutting it behind me so the delivery person wouldn't be able to see what was happening in the foyer.  
“32 even,” he sounded bored. I handed him two twenties and told him to keep the change.   
“Thanks!” he exclaimed, smiling at me.  
“Thank you.” I balanced the two liter on top of the box as I closed the front door and moved toward the entry door. When I reached for the handle, it opened. The red one was there, stepping aside for me to enter. He must have seen my shadow through the frosted glass.  
“Thanks,” I slipped in, still balancing the food. I headed for the kitchen and they followed.  
“Are you hungry?” I asked, setting down the large pizza on the counter. No one said anything for a few moments. I flipped the lid open and my mouth watered as the wonderful aroma of melted cheese hit my nostrils.  
“I could eat,” the red one spoke up first.   
“Me too.”  
“Ditto.”  
“Why not?”  
I grabbed up a slice and folded it, taking a seat on the stool around the island. They didn't move.  
“Dig in,” I mumbled out around a mouth full of the delicious food. They didn't need to be told twice.   
I watched the pizza disappear in a matter of minutes. I was impressed, but then again, they were large.  
“So...can I ask what exactly you guys are?” I asked tentatively.   
“Turtles,” Mikey responded with a grin.  
“Turtles?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Okay,” I shrugged. Stranger things and all that.  
“That's it?” red asked me, his green eyes boring into mine.  
“I can't very well refute it. You're all right here in front of me, it's all the proof I need.”  
The silence was thick for a few moments, before blue spoke up.  
“I'm Leonardo. Orange is Mikey, purple is Donny, and he's Raph.”  
I committed each name to memory, matching color to name a few times before nodding.  
“Nice to meet all of you.”   
“Right back at ya girl,” Mikey grinned.  
Everyone fell back into silence again. I had so much to ask, but I didn't want to come off as rude or inconsiderate.  
“Ask,” Donny seemed to know exactly how I was feeling.  
“How old are you?”  
“Seventeen, as far as we know. Leo is the oldest, Mikey the youngest.”  
“Are you family?”  
“Brothers.”  
“How did you learn to build things?” I asked Donny specifically.  
He pushed his glasses up on his face and answered,  
“How do you know I build things?”  
“You're goggles, for one. The parts you showed me on the laptop the other day for another.”  
“Internet.”  
“Anything else?” Raph grumbled out next to me.   
“Why did you help me?”  
“You needed help,” Donny replied from his hunched position near the smart fridge. He was currently pushing buttons on the little screen. He seemed the quickest to respond.  
“Is that what you do? Help people?” I questioned as I turned away from Donny to look at the rest of them.  
“Yes,” Leo replied, looking at me.  
“Do you need anything?”  
“What?” Raph turned his head to look at me.  
“Is there anything you need, anything I can do or get for you?”  
“Why?”   
“Because you helped me, and I'm sure I wasn't the first. Now it's time for someone to help you. I have virtually unlimited resources.”  
“You're already more involved then you should be,” Leo spoke up.  
“Yet you're here.”  
He sighed.  
“Everybody needs allies. Let me be yours.”  
“Too dangerous. We can't risk you being harmed or our existence getting out.”  
I clicked my tongue in agitation.  
“I was tasered, kidnapped, and tortured. Then I was rescued, brought to a hospital and interrogated for hours by the FBI, NYPD and an army of psychologists. I'm not afraid to get hurt. As far as your identity goes, even if I told, who would believe me? No one. So stop with the excuses and use me.”  
Mikey spit out the coke he had been drinking.  
“Poor choice of words,” Donny flatly stated from somewhere behind me. I looked at Mikey, who was grinning.  
“I'd love to use you girl,” he grinned.  
“You're a little young for me sweetheart,” I smiled.  
“I'm 16!” he proclaimed loudly.  
“That would make me a statutory rapist,” I informed him. Behind me Donny burst out into a fit of snorting giggles.  
“Anyways...” Leo tried to rope everyone back into the original conversation. “I still don't think it's a good idea.”  
“I believe the advantages outweigh the risks,” Donny moved so he was standing on my left.  
“I'm with Donny!” Mikey put his hand up. “Ava's got some serious body karate going on, and she's rich. No brainer.”  
I'd take it. I glanced to the right to see what Raph had to say.  
“You're a big girl, make your own choices,” he grumbled. I gave his large bicep a gentle punch.  
“I'd knew you'd be on my side.” I turned my eyes back to Leo. “I understand this could be dangerous, and I understand what it means for you to put faith in me. These are your brothers, your family. You have to protect them. And I want to help.”  
His blue eyes were unwavering as he watched me.   
“I'll think on it.”  
“Thank you. Now I'm going into the den to watch The Heat, any takers?”  
“Right behind ya.” Mikey fell in as I left the kitchen. “Don't worry,” he whispered as he threw his large arm around me. “Leo will warm up to you, just give it a little time.”

 

In the kitchen-

“What do you really think?” Donny asked Leo. He knew his brother. Something was bothering him.  
“He thinks it's a bad fucking idea,” Raph ranted. “She's going to get hurt or worse trying to help us.”  
“Why didn't you say that earlier?” Donny asked him.   
“Girl's hell bent on helping us cause she thinks she owes us. Didn't want to crush her.”  
“Well how noble of you,” Leo snapped. “But I think it's a little far gone to keep her out of things now. She's seen us, so she's part of it.”  
“You really going to let her do this?” Raph asked, getting in Leo's face.   
“Yeah, got a problem with that?”  
“Then her blood is on your hands. Anything happens ta her, it falls on you.”  
“He put me in charge, not you. You need to...” but Leo didn't get to finish. Raph hit him hard, sending him crashing into the porcelain sink, shattering it and breaking a few pipes in the process. The noise brought Mikey and Ava running. Water began spraying in all different directions as Leo forced himself out of the hole where the sink use to be.  
Then he launched at Raph. 

Ava POV

The crash scared the shit out of me and Mikey alike. We both fumbled and stumbled off the couch to the kitchen. Or what had been my kitchen. Water was pouring out of broken pipes where the sink lay in chunks. Leo got to his feet and immediately lunged at Raph. The island buckled, as Leo slammed Raph into it. I heard wood creak and the marble sounded like it cracked. I felt water on my feet and was snapped back to my senses. I ran toward the sink mess, and began prying pieces of porcelain away so I could get to the water shut off valve before the water reached the foyer or den.   
Donny bent down and helped me move the heaviest of the rubble.  
“Sorry about this Ava,” he sighed as he moved another large section. “They disagree all the time, and this is how it usually ends.”  
“Thank goodness for home owners insurance,” I grimaced as I reached the knob and turned it off. The flow of water slowed and then eventually stopped. But the brothers did not. I turned and sat on my butt, in the cold water, watching them fight. Donny mimicked me. I didn't get involved until Leo put Raph through the glass french doors that led to the dinning room. At this rate they would take the whole down in a matter of minutes.  
“Okay, how do we stop them?” I asked.  
“We don't.”  
“Well they are demolishing my fathers house,” I got to my feet, the sound of glass breaking causing me to sigh. That had to be the large china cabinet breaking.   
“GUYS!” I yelled, as I entered the dinning room. But they paid me no mind. I saw plates and saucers on the ground and an idea struck me. I began throwing them at them. I missed a dozen times before a tea cup his Raph in his arm. He turned to look at me, Leo following suit. I threw a saucer at him and hit his shell.  
“Well now that I have your attention. I don't know what started this, but it needs to stop. Look what you've done to my home.”  
It looked like a bomb went off in here. The table's legs were busted on one side, causing it to look like a miniature slide. The china cabinet and all the china was scattered in pieces throughout the room, some chairs were broke, some were just tipped over.   
Leo put his head down.  
“I'm sorry,” he apologized. “I tried to warn you...”   
“All families fight. Granted not all families can fight like you, or have your strength and size. But it happens. Just maybe next time take it to the yard or something.”  
I turned to walk away and stepped directly on a shard of china. I let out a groan of pain and froze mid motion. I lifted my foot cautiously up to see the damage. There was too much blood to see the where it was coming from. I attempted to put pressure on it at the ball, so I could at least limp out to the bathroom for the first aide kit. But before I could test it out, I was off my feet entirely. I looked up to see Raph holding me.  
“Ya klutz,” he mumbled walking me out into the kitchen. “Donny, she stepped on some glass.”  
Donny moved forward quickly, pushing his spectacles up higher on his nose. He gently grabbed my ankle and tipped my foot up. He used a large finger to gently probe the bottom of my foot. I jolted in Raph's arms when his finger found the foreign object protruding from my foot.   
“Easy man,” Raph's deep voice warned.   
“It's in pretty good,” he commented. “Do you have a first aide kit?”  
“In the first floor bathroom closet,” I stated.  
“Does it hurt?” Mikey asked, bending to look at it.  
“Well it doesn't feel fantastic,” I grinned.  
Raph chuckled and I felt it in his chest...shell. Thing.   
“You gonna hold her all night or what?” Leo asked. To me he sounded slightly amused. But I didn't know him well enough to know for sure or not.  
“Thought it would be easier for Donny....” Raph mumbled out and moved like he was going to set my down on the island.  
“If you don't mind, could you hold me until he's done?” I asked. Raph stopped mid-motion and looked down at me.  
“I tend to move when I'm nervous. I don't want to accidentally kick Donny,” I explained to the curious looks I was given.  
Donny came back and I took in a deep breath.  
“This is going to hurt,” he informed me as he held up a pair of tweezers. Apprehension flooded me and I tensed up. “Deep breath.”  
I did as he said. And it didn't help. I slammed my eyes shut as he carefully pulled the glass out of my foot.  
“There's more than one,” he mumbled. I was biting my lip to keep from any outbursts. I felt something wet and cold on my foot and had to assume he was pouring water on it to see where the other glass pieces were.  
Four shards later and I was glass free, for the time being. I was a little sweaty, but I managed it. Donny bandaged my foot and I was all set. Raph put me down and I gently tested my weight on it. Not bad, but working out in the a.m was going to be a chore.  
“Try to take it easy,” he informed me.  
“I have a 7am workout and then classes all day.”  
“You might want to skip the workout,” Leo spoke up. He was the quietest among them so far.  
“I'll shift and work out my upper body.”  
Leo gave me a look like he didn't believe me.  
“What?”  
“You lift weights?” he asked.  
“Yeah.” I tugged my sweater over my head, leaving me in a white tank top. Then I flexed. I worked really hard to get nice, defined arms that weren't overly muscular but not twigs either.   
They all laughed at me at the same time. I smiled, I couldn't help it.  
“You call that muscle?” Mikey asked, and then flexed. He had some pretty impressive arms.  
“I have great arms, but they lose some luster standing next to this guy,” I nudged Raph with my elbow. “I mean, his biceps are bigger around then my waist, how do I compete with that?!”  
It was true, Raph was a large, large turtle. I felt like a hobbit standing next to him. All of them really. My phone ringing drew me out of my internal babbling.  
I gimped as fast as I could through over to the den, avoiding the water soaked areas. I leaned over the couch and saw it was my dad. I remained hanging over the couch when I answered it.  
“Hi dad,” I tried to sound like nothing was happening.  
“What's wrong?”  
Crap.  
“Well, I had a little mishap in the kitchen...and the dinning room.”  
“A mishap? Are you alright?”  
I felt bad about lying to him, but it better then telling him two giant talking turtle brothers got into a fight and wrecked it.  
“Yeah, I cut my foot, but it's fine,” I finally allowed myself to slide all the way forward so I was on the couch completely.   
“You're sure?”  
“Positive.”  
“Now what about the kitchen and dining room?”  
“Well a pipe burst in the sink, and then when I was trying to move the dining room table to clean in there, I hit the china hutch. It fell over and everything broke and the table broke...it was a mess.”  
My dad was eerily silent for a few moments before his laughter drifted out of the phone to me.  
“You're lucky like a four leaf clover.”  
“I know.”  
“Alright sweetheart, it's time for this old man to start his day,” he sounded less than impressed. I glanced at the clock. It was weird, the time difference sometimes.   
“Try to have a good one.”   
“Here's hoping. I'll call you tonight, or morning. Whenever the hell. I can't keep the time zones right anymore. But I'll see you in a week.”  
“Remember we're going apartment hunting when you get home.”  
He groaned.  
“You promised to help me!”  
“Can I claim it's too soon?”  
“You can, but it's not.”  
“Alright. I'll have my secretary set aside some time for it next week.”  
“Love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
I hung up. And then jumped when Mikey stuck his face over the couch.  
“Was that your dad?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Cool dude.”  
“I'll keep him,” I retorted as I sat up.  
“You're moving?” Leo asked walking into the den.  
“Yeah. I've been looking for a place of my own for awhile now. But then I was taken, and everything sort of got sidetracked for a little while.”  
“Roommates?” he continued. I shook my head.  
“Just me.”  
“We need to get going,” Donny spoke up. “We have all this to take back with us, and it's already late.”  
There were several packages and only four of them. But I watched as Raph picked up the largest one, and Donny put two more on top of that. Then they each carried two or three of the smaller ones.   
“You never cease to amaze me,” I breathed. They were something else, these turtles. Kind, strong, smart.  
“Thanks babe,” Mikey winked as he walked by.   
“Bye,” Donny mumbled as he walked by. Raph followed him, saying nothing.  
“Sorry again,” Leo stopped next to me. About the mess and everything.”  
“Don't worry about it. It's just stuff. Easily replaced.”  
He smiled a little at that.  
“See you around,” he offered.  
“Be careful,” I mused.   
And then they were gone, out the back door and into the night. I locked the door and went back to the foyer. I peeked my head into the kitchen and sighed. Time to clean up the mess.

“Miss Broady?”  
I looked up from the book I was reading and was accosted with a camera flash. I blinked a few times to get the little dots out of my vision.  
“Miss Broady, can you tell us about the split?”  
I sighed in agitation. But I knew it was coming. When Johnny crashed the NYPD fundraiser I put on, it was the last straw.   
“What happened between Johnny and myself is personal. I have always been and will remain to be, a private person.”  
I got up from the table and left. I stormed out, not sure where I was going but just knowing I needed to be away. My mind went back three nights ago, to the fundraiser I organized for the NYPD. It was to help raise funds to fight organized crime, like the Purple Dragons and the Foot. Everything had been going smooth. Until he had shown up.  
John 'Johnny' Gates was the only thing I ever argued with my mother about. He was a the quintessential bad boy. Breaking curfew, drugs, parties. He was wild and for a while I loved it. But it faded fast and we had troubles almost from the get-go. A trust fund child like myself, he felt no desire to work, to do anything other than what he wanted. He was my bad habit that I never seemed able to shake. We broke up more times than I could count in the last three years, but this time, I was done. Forever.   
He came in drunk, with a group of his friends. They attacked the bar, called every officer they saw a pig and tried to fight the security when asked to leave. It opened up my eyes to who he really was. A loser. A lazy, wasteful, degenerate with a trust fund.   
I thought I would cry, like he did. But I couldn't. And I won't. I felt happier, more free than I had ever felt in my entire life.   
I smiled as I walked into a Prada store, intending on spending the rest of this beautiful day doing what ever the hell I wanted.

Lair-

“Do you think she's thinking about us?” Mikey asked Donny, as they played minecraft.  
“Doubtful. According to the latest internet rumors, she just broke up with her long time boyfriend.”  
“Whoa, for real?” Mikey grinned.  
“If the internet is to be believed.”  
“What are you two dorks talking about?” Raph boomed out from above them. Mikey tipped his head back to look up at his older brother.   
“Ava. She's back on the market now.”  
“She get dumped?”  
“No, gossip is she dumped him after he crashed her big NYPD fundraiser,” Donny spoke monotonously, his concentration never wavering from the structure he was building in the virtual world.  
“She wants me,” Mikey grinned and turned his attention back to his screen just in time to see a creeper explode next to him.  
“Also doubtful. Her previous choices in men all have similar characteristics. None of which you fit.”  
“Harsh bro,” Mikey frowned at Donny. “Maybe we should go and check on her.”  
“She's in the process of moving.”  
“How you know all this?” Raph asked, looking down at them with intense eyes.  
“I've been monitoring her ever since our first encounter, as a contingency. Both for her safety and ours.”  
“That's kinda creepy,” Mikey mused, his eyes never leaving the screen.  
“It won't be creepy when we need to find her. She's been making some enemies with her continued support of the NYPD. Plus the new gang task force that was created at her insistence. She's making herself an advocate to stop the Purple Dragons and similar gangs. It's painting a large target on her.”

Ava-

My home. An Italian Renaissance-style mansion, with six floors and a working elevator. It was just off of fifth avenue, on east 64th street. When I was looking for a place, I had never given any thought to an actual house. Just apartments or condos. But my realtor mentioned this and I asked too see it. Why not? And now it was my home.  
I grinned to see my decorator bossing around the movers. He was a blessing.   
“Ava!” he proclaimed loudly, and strutted over to me. “How was lunch?”  
“Not bad, got cornered by some second line paparazzi.”  
“Poor dear,” he frowned. “Well come inside, see what I've done to the place!”

It was ten pm and all the hired hands were gone for the night. My home was almost done. Weeks of renovations and all that was left was the actual moving in. My things were already here, but neatly tucked away until the right time. Tomorrow, to be precise. My heels clicked on the wood floors as I walked, still in slight awe that this was mine. I grinned. My thoughts strayed away for a bit, and I thought of them. The brothers. I hadn't seen them in weeks. I stayed in for nights, secretly hoping they would show up. But when they didn't, I realized they had lives too. What was once a dominant thought, was now fleeting. I thought of them rarely, mostly at night.  
“Hey,” I twirled around to see Raph. I put a hand on my chest, to try and calm my beating heart.  
“Whoa, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you,” he shrugged his massive shoulders.  
“It's alright. I just didn't hear you.”  
“Your hair is different,” he cocked his head to the side a little, as if trying to see what was different.  
“Had it lowlighted,” I informed him. I had naturally coffee colored hair, so I had my stylist add a little depth by putting in some molasses colored lowlights.  
“So this is the new place huh? Nice,” he looked around, nodding his head.  
“Thanks.”  
It was awkward, but in a normal way. We didn't know one another, not well anyways.  
“Are you alright?” I asked, moving up the hall toward him.  
“Why?”  
It was my turn to shrug.   
“I was just wondering. I haven't seen or heard from you or your brothers in awhile. I was worried that something might have happened.”  
He smiled at me, and it seemed a bit shy to me.   
“Nah, we're good.”  
“Good.”  
We stood there in my naked hallway, looking at one another for a few moments.  
“Are you hungry?” I asked.  
“I could eat,” he responded with a grin. It was the same response he had given me at my fathers house, when I offered him pizza.  
“Do you like Chinese?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Great, I'll order some in. Do you know what you want?”   
“Chicken Chow Mein, Sweet and sour pork, and crab rangoons,” he answered quickly.  
“I'm impressed. Half or full?”  
“Full.”  
I pulled out my phone and quickly scanned for the nearest Chinese restaurant. Then I placed a call ordering all his stuff, plus my Beef and broccoli.  
“We have some time before the food comes, want to see the rest of the house?”

Fours hours later-

I laughed so hard water almost came out of my nose. We were sitting on the floor, near the fireplace, swapping stories.  
“What did you do?” I gasped between peels of laughter.  
“I beat him to a pulp,” Raph answered with a grin.  
I laughed again, but it died the second my phone rang and it was his ringtone. Johnny's.  
I sighed as I hit the ignore button.  
“Sorry ta hear about you and him,” Raph looked at me. He seemed to pick up on everything.  
“Don't be. It was a long time coming.”  
He nodded.   
“Do you date?” I asked suddenly. For once, he looked taken aback. All night long he answered my questions without hesitation, and I offered him the same courtesy.  
“Oh yeah, all the time,” his bitterness and sarcasm was easy to detect and made my heart a little heavier.  
“I'm sorry.”  
“No helping it. We're freaks,” his green eyes bore into mine.  
“I don't think you're a freak Raph. Just different.”  
He humphed at me and looked away. I felt so sad, so helpless in the face of his sadness and isolation. I acted without thinking, I crawled forward and put my arms around his large frame. He startled and then froze. He felt like a statue.  
“What are ya doing Ava?”  
“Giving you a hug,” I didn't let go of him. I wanted him to know he wasn't alone.   
His arm came up tentatively, to wrap around my waist. I let my head rest on his shoulder, marveling in the cool feel of him. He smelled like water, like a lake or a river. It wasn't a bad smell.   
I leaned back, but still remained near him. He glanced at me, then away, then back again. He smiled. I copied him.  
“Much better!”  
He laughed.   
“Can I see your hand?” I asked, wondering if he would let me satisfy my curiosity about them.  
He didn't say anything, but held his hand up. It was so large, double if not triple the size of my hand. I ran my hand over it, the skin cool and slightly dewy. He had nails on the three fingers, like I had. I turned his hand over, his palm was slightly lighter than the back of his hand, and it was rough. As if with callouses.   
“Enough,” his voice came out rough as he pulled his hand back.   
“Did I hurt you?” I asked, suddenly worried that I had done something to offend or hurt him.  
He laughed, a hollow, empty sound. I didn't like it.  
“It's getting late,” he announced getting to his feet. As he did, his knee hit me in the face, more specifically, my nose. Those knee pads were hard and I fell back, seeing stars.   
“Ava!” Raph rushed to help me. I sat up, feeling the blood rush out of my nose in small gushing rivers. I leaned forward, trying to avoid getting it on my clothes.   
“I'm alright,” I reached over for the stack of napkins and clamped my nose shut. I looked up at him with watery eyes. His face made me laugh.  
“Don't worry about this, I've got a tender nose. I broke it, well Johnny broke it when I was sixteen.”  
“He broke your nose?”  
“Yeah, playing volleyball in the Hamptons.”  
I took the napkins away but blood was still flowing freely. I quickly brought it back and waited. It would stem eventually.  
“I'm sorry,” he looked crestfallen.  
“Want me to give you a bloody nose back, call it even?”  
He laughed and shook his head.  
“Will you come back to see me?” I asked, suddenly worried he wouldn't come back, that I would never see him again.  
“Do you want me too?” he asked, suddenly very serious.  
“Yes.”  
He nodded.   
“Then I'll be back.”  
He got to his feet and I looked up at him. He seemed like a giant from my position on the floor.   
“I'll see ya later.”  
“Bye.”  
I listened to his heavy footfalls until I couldn't hear them anymore. I got up, wondering what this feeling was. While cleaning my face in the bathroom, it struck me. I was giddy. I met my eyes in the mirror and sighed. Leave it to me to fall for a seven foot tall turtle.

I laughed at myself in the mirror. It had to be my post-breakup emotions, making me take a shine to Raph like that. It was the only plausible explanation. I mean, he was a seven foot mutant turtle. I laughed again and splashed more cold water on my face. 

The Lair-

“Where you been?” Leo asked, the moment he walked in. Now normally this would ruffle his feathers, he didn't need a babysitter. But right now he could care less what Leo was snapping at him about. His mind was back in the house with Ava. He could still smell her, like she was still near him, still holding him.   
“Raph!” Leo was in his face, his blue eyes narrowing behind his mask.  
“Chill Leo, I was just out for a walk.”  
And then it hit him. Leo could smell her. He could smell Ava's perfume, on him.   
“You're the one who said involving her was a bad idea. Remember? Her blood would be on my hands, isn't that what you said to me?”  
Raph ground his teeth, but remained silent.  
“What are you doing Raph?” Leo's voice seemed to soften, just the slightest, but Raph heard it.  
“I just wanted to see her,” he finally admitted.   
Leo didn't respond at first, he seemed to be choosing his words very, very carefully.  
“Be careful Raph,” was all he said before walking away, leaving him alone. He let out a long sigh before heading toward his room. 

Ava's POV

I shivered and pulled my red jacket around me tighter. It was my night for neighborhood watch patrol. On my left was my partner, Mr. Harris, Ronald to his friends. He was a retired writer and well into his sixties.   
“Take a little nip off this,” he offered me his thermos. I smiled and gratefully took it. I expected spiked coffee. What I tasted was green tea.  
“Bet that was a shock,” he grinned. I couldn't help but return it.  
“Say, what happened to your nose little girl?” he asked as quickly pocketed the tea.  
“It's going to sound ridiculous but I was with a friend and he stood up suddenly, and his knee pad hit me in the nose.”  
He studied me with his keen brown eyes.  
“Is that supposed to be the new age version of I walked into a door?”  
“No,” I laughed. “I am not being abused, I assure you. It was just really bad, really perfect timing.”  
He looked me over one more time before nodding. I guess that meant he believed me, or was pretending too.  
“Don't suppose we're going to see much action in this neighborhood,” he laughed as we crossed the street. We passed another patrol group, the Bartons. Their smiles seemed tight, forced. It put me on edge instantly.   
“That was weird,” Ronald vocalized my thoughts.  
“Something isn't right,” I stopped walking and turned back to look at them. They walked quickly, just shy of sprinting really.  
“Agreed. The mystery buff in me wants to know why but my common sense and age is telling me it's not something we are going to want to find out.”  
I turned to look at his kindly face, knowing there was a very keen mind hiding beneath all that gray hair.  
“What are they doing up here? We have these blocks, they are supposed to be down by 51st.”  
Ronald shook his head.  
“It's fishy kid, very fishy.”  
“What's north of here?” I wondered out loud. I wasn't super familiar with the area just yet.  
“North of us now? Umm, just some more brownstones and complexes.”  
Maybe we were both just being overly paranoid. But having been kidnapped once tended to make me ere on the side of caution. I looked around, and suddenly felt exposed. Like I was being watched.  
“Let's get out of here,” I whispered quickly.  
“I second that,” he nodded briskly and took my upper arm. We crossed back over to the street we just previously came from. It felt no different here.  
“I fear we are being observed.”  
“I got that feeling too. Think someone is following us?”  
“Most definitely.”  
I felt my anxiety kick up a notch. And then I saw it. Just the briefest glimmer, of purple material slipping into an alley ahead of us. I felt my heart skip up into my throat.  
“Run,” I commanded, taking my phone out of my pocket. I typed as quickly as I could, praying they were nearby.   
“What?!” Ronald asked, looking worried.  
“We need to run,” I grabbed his elbow and hauled him along with me, into the middle of the street, far away from the dark alleys and shadows of the sidewalks. Traffic honked at us, but I paid them no mind and continued to run.   
“Ava!” Ronald yelled trying to get me to stop, to let go of him. A cab was closing in on us and I waved a hand in the air, trying to get it's attention. It saw me and changed lanes. I opened the door and shoved Ronald into it.  
“Go!” I screamed as I slammed the door. For a fraction of a second, when I was shutting the door, I glanced over the taxi and into the alley. Standing in the mouth was the gray eyed devil. I would recognize his stance, his demeanor, anywhere. A car horn sounding snapped me out of my terror filled stupor and I began to move. I ran as fast as I could, weaving between the cars and trucks that filled the now clogged streets. He looked right at me.   
I was about three blocks from my home when a salt truck forced me from the safety of the center lanes. I had to move onto the sidewalks, and therefore closer to the alleys. My palms became sweaty at the thought.   
I got about a half a block down when someone's large arm pulled me into the darkness of a deep overhang. I opened my mouth to scream, but it was quickly covered. I struggled, twisting and kicking and turning, but to no avail.   
“Hey, hey, calm down. Ava. It's me. It's Raph,” it took me several seconds to place the voice, and about half a minute to calm down enough for it to register. It wasn't the gray eyed devil. It was Raph.  
I turned around to see that it was in fact, Raph. I threw my arms around him and did my best not to sob. My breath hitched a few times, but I didn't cry. Brownie points for me.  
“You okay?” he asked after my breathing returned to normal.  
“He was here,” I pulled back from him so I could see his face.  
“Who?”  
“The gray eyed devil! The man who tortured me!”  
Raph's green eyes scanned the area around us once, before he opened the door behind him and pulled me in.  
“Is she alright?” I heard a voice ask. I looked up to see the three others.   
“Her heart rate and blood pressure are through the roof. Ava you need to calm down. You could have a stroke,” Donny came forward.  
“He's back. I thought...I thought he was gone. I thought you took care of him.” I scanned their faces.  
“Who's back?” Leo asked.  
“The gray eyed devil.”  
Leo's eyes widened a bit.  
“The guy who tortured her down there,” Raph explained to their perplexed looks. “He's hunting her.”  
Leo and Raph looked at eachother for a long time. No one said anything, Mikey and Donny watched with somewhat apprehensive looks.  
“You're sure it was him?” Leo turned his blue eyes back to me. I shook my head yes. I would never, ever forget him.   
“Are you sure Ava? It's not uncommon for victims of violence to sometimes imagine...” Donny began.  
“I did not imagine this!” I screamed. “He was there, looking at me.”  
Nobody had time to respond, because the sound of many feet came flowing down the stairs. I was the first to run, I barreled through them, leaving the brothers shocked. But I was not going to be taken again. Never again.  
“Ava!” I heard my name being called but I moved anyways, trusting my instincts. A body came slamming out of an adjacent room and hit me like a mac truck. We tumbled through the crumbling wall and into the next room. My whole body hurt and for a moment I wanted nothing more then to just lay here until it stopped. But then I felt someone paw at me and I began to fight. I kicked and bucked myself around. It was dusty and hard to see in the dim light. But for all my aimless strikes, my booted foot landed a solid strike to the middle of the person's face. I heard a resounding crunch and did it once more. Then again. I was set to do it again if necessary, but the person teetered on wobbly knees before falling onto his side. Now that I was out of immediate danger, I could hear the sound of fighting going on in the hall. I got to my hands and knees and my fingers felt something cool under hand. I grabbed and pulled it up as I got to my feet. It was a metal pipe. About two feet in length and maybe an inch wide. But it was heavy. Solid. I gripped it tight and stepped back out into the hallway.  
I had never struck anyone in my life. Ever. I found it was easier than I thought, once I got over the initial shock of it. By the third man, I was no longer concerned about where I struck or the damage I dealt. One of the dragon's blocked my swing, something I was not prepared for. Then his foot shot out faster than I could see and and hit me in the stomach. I felt instant nausea and pain. I stumbled back, trying to regain my balance. I bumped into one of the men I had previously put down and fell back, arms pinwheeling. I landed hard, jarring me down to my bones.   
The man was on me fast, he straddled me and pulled a knife. I raged and tried to dislodge him from me. I got a sharp slap to my face for my efforts. Then his hand moved to my jacket and began to unzip it. For a few horrible seconds I was unable to move, in any way. Fear had me paralyzed. It was only when I felt the icy cold steel of the blade on my bare flesh did my body come back to me. He was running the blade between my breasts, in the deep crease they created. I opened my mouth and screamed at the top of my lungs.   
I began to fight. With everything I had. I kicked and bucked, doing my best to dislodge him from me. I swung my arms wildly at him, sometimes making a fist and others just slapping.   
“AVA!!”   
I heard what sounded like thunder and the man was suddenly off me. I looked up to see Raph standing over me. He was looking intently down the hallway. I craned my neck to see as well. It was him. I rolled over and slowly tried to get to my feet. My stomach ached and I stumbled. Raph put his hands on my hips and helped me. I leaned heavily on him, as my whole body felt like jello.   
“This girl is ours,” his voice seemed scarier then I remembered as he pointed to me.  
“You have to come through me first,” Raph growled, as he stepped forward defensively.  
“Gladly.”

They watched each other and I watched them. I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently pulling me back. I looked to see it was Leo. I turned my head back in time to see the gray eyed devil's arm move. I did it without thinking, without hesitation. I threw my body in front of Raph, trying to shield him. I felt pain explode in my chest. I looked down to see a crimson stain spreading on my shirt where a handle was protruding. I brought my shaking hand to the area and it came away wet with blood. My knees buckled and I began to fall. Everything felt like I was in a haze. And then all of a sudden it all came rushing back. I could hear voices shouting all around me.   
“Why'd you do that?!” Raph was yelling at me, his face just a few inches from mine. I was on the ground. I remembered falling but not landing.  
“Stop yelling at her,” Donny's face swam into my vision. “She's awake.”  
I looked around. I wasn't in the building anymore. In fact, I had no idea where I was. I didn't remember passing out.   
“Di...Did I pass out?” I asked. It hurt so badly to breath. Like someone was sitting on my chest.  
“Yes, a few minutes after I pulled the knife from your chest,” Donny informed me. I was confused. It felt like just minutes ago I was in that building.  
“Trauma related amnesia is very common,” he smiled down at me.  
“How long ago?”  
“Mmm, it's been about eleven hours.”  
My brows came down in confusion. How did I lose eleven hours?  
“What's the last thing you remember?”  
“I saw his arm move,” I whispered. Why did it hurt so much to breathe?   
“He threw a knife at Raph, you stepped in front of it. Do you remember that?” Donny asked, his kind brown eyes looking down at me.  
“I didn't know it was a knife,” I wheezed. “I just knew he was going to hurt him...” I couldn't talk anymore. It hurt so badly.  
“It's going to take some time, the knife punctured your left lung, deflating it. I managed to make a seal that held, and re-inflated your lung. But it's going to be awhile before you can do anything strenuous. You've also lost a considerable amount of blood. I did what I could.”  
My eyes were finally starting to focus, I was in a dark room that smelled wet. It looked like a dungeon or something similar. But everything immediately around me looked like it came from a hospital.   
“My own little ER,” Donny smiled at me.  
“Thank you,” I closed my eyes for a moment. This was the second time they saved my life.  
“I think it is us, who should be thanking you,” a new voice spoke out. I watched as what appeared to be a five foot tall rat approached me. I was shocked, but not nearly as much as I would have been previous to meeting the brothers.   
“You saved one of my sons from great harm, at the expense of your own health and safety. For this I thank you.”  
He bowed his head at me. I smiled and and closed my eyes, it was becoming to much for me to keep them open. I was so tired.  
“I would do it again, and a million times over if it meant keeping them safe.”  
“You are a brave girl,” I heard his voice as I floated down into oblivion.

“Why'd you do it?”  
I heard someone talking. It sounded incredibly close.  
“Not for me. You shouldn't have done that for me.”  
It took me longer than I liked to put everything together. It was Raph talking to me. I kept my eyes closed and listened to him.  
“You idiot. It wouldn't have hurt me, I have a shell. Why did you do it?”  
He kept mumbling the same things over and over.  
“To protect you,” I spoke, but my voice came out wispy and windy sounding.  
“Ava,” I opened my eyes at the sound of my name.  
“Hi,” I smiled at him. He remained stoic.   
“You stupid idiot!” he seemed to be getting angrier and angrier.   
“That's a double negative,” I informed him, bringing my seemingly lead filled hand up to itch my eye.   
“You wouldn't be joking if you knew how close you came to dying.”  
“Sure I would. Because I am not dead, and that's a pretty good reason to joke and laugh. Don't you think?”  
“Why did you do it Ava? Why did you DO IT!?”  
“I told you, to protect you.”  
“I don't need protection!” he was yelling now. “That knife would have barely nicked my shell. It tore through your lung like wet newspaper!”  
“Ease up bro,” Mikey put his hands up as he walked up to the opposite side of my bed. “Hey girl.”  
I smiled up at him.  
“Gave us a scare Ava. Especially when you were coughing up blood and you started to choke and Donny couldn't stop the bleeding...” he stopped at a look from Raph.  
“I'm sorry I scared all of you. I promise it was not my intention.”  
“You're okay now, so it's all good,” he grinned.  
“It's not 'all good',” Raph snapped at him. “She almost died. For me.”   
“It would have been worth it,” I informed them. They both stopped bickering and looked down at me. I closed my eyes again, I was tired.   
“What?” Raph breathed, barely above a whisper.  
“Dying for something is better than living for nothing.”  
Raph let out an angry roar and stomped away. I opened my eyes to see Mikey still standing there.  
“Thank you,” he whispered. “When I saw him throw the knife, and then the way Raph tensed up...I thought he was hit. But then you crumpled in front of him and it was like...instant relief.”  
He looked down at me guiltily. I nodded my head.  
“But then I realized the knife was in you....I thought you were dead. We all did. Raph went crazy. He charged all the dragons, Leo and me right behind him. Donny went to you. He began yelling that you were alive.”  
I could see how guilty he felt. His blue eyes were misty.  
“Don't feel guilty. He's your brother, your family. Of course you would feel relieved when you realized he was okay. As for me, I chose to step in front of him. Every choice we make has a consequence. Negative or positive. This choice had a little of both.”  
“You are very wise, for one so young.”  
I turned my head to see the rat again.  
“You may go Michelangelo. I will watch her.”  
Mikey nodded at him and left.  
“Do not fear me,” he smiled as he came closer.   
“I don't.”  
“I am Splinter, I raised the brothers as my own.”  
“So you're their father.”  
He inclined his head at me.  
“It's nice to meet you,” I smiled.  
“I have heard many things about you Miss Broady.”  
“Please, call me Ava.”  
He nodded.  
“I am indebted to you, for what you have done for my sons.”  
“They risked their lives to rescue me from the purple dragons. I would not be here if it wasn't for them. I think that makes us even.”  
He smiled. A loud banging noise could be heard followed by a shout.  
“Raphael is not handling the current situation very well.”  
I started to laugh and ended up coughing violently. When I was done I felt like I had run a marathon.  
“It's not his fault,” I whispered. “Tell him it's not his fault.” Then I was asleep again. 

Two days later-

I lost track of the time. I would wake up for a little while and then sleep would take over again. Donny spent the most amount of time with me.   
“What about my dad?” I asked.  
“He's in Beijing for the next couple of weeks,” Donny glanced up from his new laptop. “I've been texting him as you, so as not to raise suspicion.”  
“I'm not really a texter,” I informed him. He nodded.  
“I know, but he believes you have a very nasty cold, coupled with laryngitis.”  
“You think of everything,” I smiled. I was sitting up, which was a big improvement, at least to me.  
“Uh-huh,” he mumbled. “You're dean wishes you a speedy recovery and has forwarded the information to your professors. All your school work will be emailed to you.”  
I nodded my head. Leave it to Donny to think of something so mundane.  
“I've done most of it for you,” he whispered. I turned my head to grin at him. I saw his cheeks go a little darker and I assumed this was his version of blushing.  
“You're amazing,” I complimented him. His cheeks got even darker. I let my head fall back on the pillow.  
“What's the matter?” he asked, closing his laptop.  
“Nothing,” I lied.  
“Not nothing, spill it,” he scooted his chair closer.  
“Why won't he talk to me?” I didn't have to say who, Donny was very aware of my pattern of thought.  
“He's still feeling guilty, give it some time.”  
“I don't understand why, you would have forgiven me by now,” I mused.  
“Yes, I would have. But we are different. Raph is governed by his emotions and me by logic. I understand why you felt the need to protect him....”  
He seemed to be having a hard time saying what he wanted to say.  
“Let me start over. Raph is an Alpha male. He protects, he saves. He doesn't get saved. And especially since it was you, an attractive woman who saved him, it's not sitting right with him. The roles were reversed. He feels guilty, remorseful. He thinks it's his fault, that he couldn't protect you. He believes he failed.”  
“Will he ever forgive me?” I felt a tear roll down my cheek and quickly wiped it away. Donny looked at me with a sad smile.  
“I don't know.”  
It was quiet for a few moments, both of us going to our respectable places in our minds.  
“I think...in the future, it would be best if you just tried to protect me,” Donny mumbled so softly I almost didn't hear it.   
The smile that spread over my face was involuntary. I felt a laugh bubbling up and I couldn't hold it in.  
Donny shook his head and began laughing as well. 

It was easier than I thought, remaining down here. I spoke with my father several times, and he now believed I headed for warmer weather to hasten my recuperation from this nasty illness.   
“Easy Ava,” Donny stood by, waiting to catch me if I lost my balance again. It has been almost two full weeks since I was stabbed. I thought I was progressing well. I could use the restroom on my own, bathe myself, and now I was up and moving around.   
I took a tentative step forward. No shooting pain, just soreness, like I had previously overworked myself in a wicked gym session. Growing more confident, I took more steps. And then some more. I walked around the small infirmary room and stopped back at the bed.  
“Are you tired? Do you need to lay down?” Donny was cooing over me like a mother hen. I smiled up at him.  
“I don't want to see another bed for at least thirty six hours!”  
Donny laughed.   
“Can I walk around, out there?” I asked, pointing to the door. I had never left this room.  
“Do you think you can handle it?”  
“I want to give it a shot,” I smiled. He nodded his head and then laughed.  
“We'll have to get you something else to wear first. You can't go walking around out there in that.”  
I looked down and began laughing. I was in a muscle tank top many sizes to large for me and the bunny slippers Mikey had given me days ago.   
“This is very fashion forward, I'll have you know,” I tried to hold a straight face. But it crumbled the instant Donny snorted mid laugh.  
“I think Leo brought some things from your house,” Donny began to rummage through the large standing wardrobe in the corner. He pulled out a large worn looking duffel bag.  
“Ah, here we go,” he flopped it down on the ground and started pulling things out of it. I recognized it all. I smiled as Donny pulled out a pair of Pink sweats by Victoria Secret. I was a fan of the comfortable clothes.   
I walked over and grabbed up the sweats. He glanced at what I grabbed and dug back in and pulled out a thin matching thermal top. I smiled and took it from his outstretched hand. I stopped mid motion when I saw what he was holding in his other hand. He didn't seem to notice. I grinned.  
“I don't think that's your color,” I motioned with my head to his right hand. He looked down and froze. I burst out laughing.   
“It's just a thong Donny, it won't bite,” I made a gimme motion and he quickly handed over the seamless pale pink thong. “Did Leo grab the matching bra?”  
Donny blinked slowly at me once, before turning his attention back to my bag. He found purchase and pulled out the bra.   
“It's really soft,” he mumbled.  
“Yeah, they make the best t-shirt bras,” I agreed.  
“It doesn't have a lot of padding?” he turned the bra over in his hands, studying it. If it were anyone else, I would have felt extremely uncomfortable. But Donny saw things in a different way then most people.  
“Padding is for women who don't have a lot going on in the chest area, or they want to showcase the goods.”  
“And you don't want to do that?”   
“You've seen my breasts more times than my ex-boyfriend, do you think I need to wear a push up bra?”  
I watched his color go dark and knew he was blushing. But it was true, Donny changed my bandage religiously. He had seen the girls a few times.  
“How are you so blunt?” he squeaked out.  
I shrugged.   
“I'm comfortable in my own skin.”  
He nodded and handed me my bra. I thanked him and walked over to the divided screen, if only to save him from more blushing.  
“How?”  
“How what?” I asked as I changed. My bottom half went well but the top half was giving me trouble. I still couldn't lift my arm above my head on that side.   
“How are you so comfortable with yourself?”  
“It wasn't an easy road. I grew up in a world of mock perfection. Everyone had to be thin, have radiant skin, white teeth, luxurious hair. And if you weren't genetically blessed with such things, then alternative measures had to be taken. My friends were starving, beautifully crafted shells, shallow examples of what we had become. I went with the crowd, because that's what you were supposed to do. I was sixteen when I had collagen injected into my lips, I thought they were to thin and my girlfriends agreed. It was the first time my father ever got angry with me. He called me a sheep. Following a herd of idiots to a life that ended with me being a triple divorcee living off of alimony checks, alone and bitter.”  
I wrested my shirt off, but my side was aching with the effort.   
“He said that?” Donny's voice was right behind me. I looked at him over my shoulder. He motioned to the bra, I slipped it up my arms and he clipped it in the back for me.   
“Yeah. I was so angry with him at the time. Not because he was wrong, but because he was right. He was right and it terrified me. I wanted more for myself than that. The next week I transferred to a new school and began to mold my life into what I wanted it to be. So what if I don't have perfect skin, or my ass is a little fat? I'm happy, and that's all that matters.”  
He put my shirt over my head and I slipped my arms in.  
“Thanks,” I smiled.  
“You accept yourself for who you are.”  
“I do, What about you? Do you accept yourself?”  
He looked away from me and it was all the answer I needed.  
“Donatello, you are the smartest, kindest man I have ever met. I am extremely grateful for having met you, for you allowing me to be in your life. But I refuse to allow you to think less of yourself because of something as trivial as appearance.”  
He blinked at me from behind his thick glasses.  
“You're heart rate is normal, as is your blood pressure....All of this indicates that you are telling the truth. You really don't care about our appearance at all, do you?”  
“Not in the slightest,” I smiled.  
“Raph says we are unnatural,” Donny shifted nervously. He did this whenever he talked about something one of his brothers confided in him. Like he was afraid he was breaking some vow, some sacred trust.  
“If you weren't meant to be, you wouldn't be. Use that big beautiful brain of yours. Nature has a way of taking care of things that don't belong. Out of all the possibilities when you were being conceived, it was you. You. Never forget that your a miracle Donny.”  
I could see him processing, his face thoughtful.  
“You're right,” he agreed after several quiet minutes.   
“I know,” I grinned as I walked past him. “Let's go for a walk.”

 

Later that night-

Ava was asleep, the drugs Donny gave her for her pain knocked her out. He couldn't believe she was already up and walking around. It seemed like it was just the other day that she was stabbed.  
“I thought I would find you here,” Leo spoke, stepping out the darkness.  
“What are you doing in here?” I snapped, irritated that he was in here. Was he watching her?  
“Father is worried. You haven't been yourself lately.”  
I snorted. I hadn't been myself since that night. She felt so frail, her small body crumpled at my feet. Her blood, her life gushing out of her, all for me. To protect me.   
“You have to stop this,” he seethed at me. His eyes slits behind his mask. “It's done, over. She survived and is here.”  
“She almost died, for me!” I roared. Ava shifted and my eyes followed her as she moved. “That's not right man! She....” I felt tears blur my vision and became even more enraged. Now I was crying in front of Leo.  
“Raph,” Leo walked around the bed and came to my side. “She's okay. See.”  
Leo took my hand and guided it to hers. The moment my skin touched hers all my walls fell. I couldn't stop it. I gripped her hand and felt the strength leave my body. I sank to my knees beside her bed.  
“Raph...” Leo put his hand on my shoulder. He sounded shocked, worried. I heard him leave and I couldn't do anything about it.

Ava's POV

I heard the sound of crying and opened my eyes, still groggy from the medicine Donny had given me. I blinked a few times before I could see in the low light. Raph was on his knees beside my bed, gripping my hand tightly and crying. Panic hit me full force.  
“Raph?” I whispered. What happened? Why was he crying?  
“Ava?” he looked up at me, his green eyes red and watery.   
“What's wrong? Are you alright?” I asked, sitting up. My stomach was rolling with the thoughts that were running through my mind.  
He didn't answer, he didn't even move. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, never breaking contact with him.  
“Raph?” I asked again, in a much quieter voice. I heard what sounded like a sob escape him. I reached out and placed a hand on the back of his head and that was all it took. I guided his head to my lap and he came without hesitation. I rubbed his neck and the back of his head, doing my best to comfort him. My anxiety was through the roof, Raph was so strong, so manly. I never expected to see him so vulnerable, so fragile. It made my chest constrict.   
He calmed down after some time, and just remained where he was, allowing me to hold him.   
“Ava,” he mumbled.   
“Yes?”  
“Promise me something.”  
“What?”  
“No more hero shit?”  
I laughed before I could stop myself. Raph laughed along with me. He lifted his head, his eyes meeting mine.  
“Let me handle the dangerous stuff from now on.”  
I looked at him and saw he was serious. Very serious.  
“You know, I think that's a good idea. I'm not very good at this hero thing anyways...”  
“You're terrible,” he agreed.  
“Never know until you try,” I whispered. Then I realized how it sounded. In the dark, with our bodies so close to one another, it sounded intimate.   
“Shit Ava,” Raph mumbled and I knew his thoughts followed mine.  
“Raph?” I asked, feeling bold.  
“Yeah?”  
“Will you stay in here, with me?”  
I felt him freeze, his entire body going rigid. I waited a breath, then two.  
“Sure.”  
I smiled and began to move. Raph was a big guy, but so was this makeshift bed. I let go of his hand and laid down, and he followed me. I curled up next to him, so we were back to chest.   
“Thank you,” I mumbled, feeling sleep call to me.   
“Anytime.”

I snuggled up against my pillow, trying to pull it tighter to my body. I wrapped a leg around it and fell back asleep once more.   
“Ava?”  
Hearing my name, I moaned. I was still so tired.   
“Hmm, I'm still tired.”  
I felt a chuckle from my pillow and realized it was not in fact a pillow. I opened my eyes to see Raph in the dim light. It took me less time to realize I was flush against his left side, with one of my bare thighs thrown over his, where his shell met skin. In a human it would have probably been his hip.   
“Oh, Raph. I'm so sorry!” I slowly slid my leg off of his, blushing slightly. I can't believe I did that!  
“Ain't nothing to worry about,” he smiled. I nodded my head.   
“What time is it?”  
“Early,” he commented, his voice flat.   
“Then what are we doing up?” I complained, scooting up against him, pulling the blankets with me as I tucked into his side.  
“Ava!” he seemed shocked.  
“Sorry! I know my feet are cold.”  
“What?” he asked, looking down at me.  
“My feet get really cold sometimes, it can be a shock.”  
He tipped his head back and laughed. I had a feeling we were on different pages.  
“I woke you up because I can hear Sensei and Leo.”  
“Of course they would be early birds,” I joked.  
“I didn't want them to come in here and see you...us...like this.”  
I propped myself up on my elbow and looked at him.  
“You didn't want them seeing us sleeping together?”  
His green eyes darted from me and then away.  
“I didn't want you to be...embarrassed.”  
I lifted an eyebrow at him.   
“Are you sure it wouldn't be you who was embarrassed?”  
His eyes widened and he began to stutter furiously.  
“What..no, I, you. It's...”  
I couldn't help it, I began to laugh. I tried to mask it but I couldn't and I fell back, laughing at this expression.  
“I'm sorry Raph,” I apologized as soon as I got myself under control. He didn't say anything as I once again propped myself up next to him. He was acting so strange...Maybe the physical contact I thought of as so normal was in fact very new and foreign to him. I might have made him uncomfortable.  
“Are you okay?” I asked, scooting myself away from him. At this he narrowed his eyes at me.  
“Why are ya moving away?”  
“I thought maybe I had overstepped here. I shouldn't have gotten so close, touched you, without your permission. I'm sorry.”  
He moved quicker than I could process, enclosing me in his arms and pulling me closer to him.  
“You never need permission to touch me,” he whispered, his face so close to mine that I felt his breath.  
Our eyes locked for a few intimate moments.  
“Are you flirting with me?” I asked, never breaking eye contact.  
“Yeah. I am.”  
“Good,” I leaned forward and put my lips on his. I was unsure how to go about kissing him, but I figured it couldn't be that hard. He froze, like he had when I first hugged him that day in my home.   
“He's coming,” Raph pulled away from me, but then came back and kissed me quickly. He pulled away, groaning. He began to fix the blankets, covering me up all the way to my neck before shifting and getting himself comfortable.  
“Are we pretending to be asleep?” I asked, as he we lay there.   
“Yes,” he whispered.  
“Okay,” I whispered back. I closed my eyes and snuggled a little closer. Raph lifted his arm and I moved against him. Just then the door opened and light flooded in.  
I couldn't see what was going on, but Raph was looking at the door.  
“What are you doing Raph?” I heard Leo hiss.  
“Sleeping, what's it look like?” he snapped back.   
“She is injured and vulnerable. You may think you are helping her, but you aren't. You are taking advantage of her. And she will see it before long. Stop whatever this is now. Stop it now and save yourself and her, a lot of pain.”  
I felt Raph shake beside me. He was so very angry. I sat up, the blankets falling away as I turned to look at Leo.   
“I may be injured but I assure you I am not vulnerable. And he is most definitely not taking advantage of me. If you have a problem with your brother and my relationship then I am sorry. But it really isn't any of your concern.”  
With that I turned back around to lay my head on Raph's chest. He brought an arm around me and looked over to Leo.  
“You heard her,” he growled out as he closed his eyes.  
“Sensei won't....”  
“Leonardo,” I heard Splinter's voice and rolled my eyes up to Raph. He chanced a quick glance down at me, as we heard him enter. “This matter is not for you to police.”  
“I am trying to protect them!”  
“As a father, I wish for nothing but to protect my children. But some things I cannot spare you, in fear that I may stunt you.”  
I heard Leo leave, obviously upset with his fathers ruling on the subject.  
“I know you are awake Ava,” he whispered as I felt something ruffle my hair. I turned my head to see Splinter at the bedside. “You bring my son happiness and for that I can not thank you enough.”  
“It's a two way street,” I smiled. He nodded his head and ran his hand through his beard.  
“But know this. Many obstacles do you face on this journey. While it is not fraught with danger, there are still threats abound that you must face. But not alone. Never are you alone. Seek one another for strength and guidance. Remember I am here for you, both of you, should you need me.”  
And with that he was gone. I stared after him, digesting what he had said.   
“Jeez,” Raph laughed uncomfortably.   
“He's right,” I turned my head back to face him. He was looking down at me with his large green eyes.  
“Ava...” he was slowly moving closer to me, unconsciously.   
“It's going to be hard, we have such different lives, me up there and you down here. But if you're willing to try....”  
His cool lips captured mine before I could finish what I was saying. I kissed him back, taking care not to go to far.  
“I'm willing.”  
“Me too,” I nodded. I couldn't deny there was a pull between us. Ever since the night at my house, he'd been on my mind. In some way or another. 

Two weeks later-

“My father is getting suspicious,” I spoke aloud as I read an email he had sent me. He wanted to see me, to make sure I really was doing better. And I'm sure to make sure I really was sick.  
“Yeah?” Raph asked, his voice a little breathy as he worked out. I glanced up from Donny's laptop.   
“Yes. I think it's about time I go home.”  
I watched as he slowly let the large weight down and sat up to look at me.  
“You sure you're ready for that?”  
I nodded my head.  
“I think so. Donny's been supervising my runs through the tunnels, I can do pretty much everything I could before.”  
He shook his head once before laying back down and began lifting the heavy weight again. Now it was my turn to sigh. Donny and I had talked about this. How Raph was going to react. I wasn't leaving him, far from it. But I did have a life on the surface. I couldn't just disappear and live down here with him forever. Even if that's exactly what I wanted to do.  
I sighed and set Donny's laptop down gently, before getting up and walking over to him. He was covered in a slight sheen of sweat, his large muscles flexing as he pushed himself.  
“This won't change how I feel about you,” I stood by his knees as he continue to use the bench press as if I wasn't there. Knowing him like I did, I got his attention the best way I knew how. I moved around to the side and swung one leg over him. I seated myself directly in his lap and waited.  
He made a surprised noise, but steadfastly continued to ignore me. I could have thrown a fit, cried, stormed out of the room, etc. But that was not my style. I tipped my head to the side, knowing he could see me just fine and narrowed my eyes at him. He wanted to play, did he?  
His response was to chuckle. I double checked that no one else was in the room with us, I would be mortified if Splinter walked in to see me straddling his son. No one was, thankfully. So I began the next step to get his attention.  
I moved my hips, just the slightest of bucks and noticed and immediate reaction from him. His face blanked for a moment before he began lifting faster. I grinned and did it again, only this time I rolled my hips in a complete circle. He audibly moaned and almost lost his grip on the bar.  
“Are you going to sit up and talk to me or do I have to ride you like a cowgirl first?”  
He laughed as he locked the bar into place and sat up. I remained seated in his lap.  
“You got my attention,” he mumbled into my ear as he kissed my neck.  
“Good.”  
I didn't say anything for several minutes and neither did he. We just kissed and held one another for a few moments.  
“Ava?” I heard Donny coming but didn't remove myself from Raph. “Ava? Ah, there you are. Finished with my laptop?”   
He had come in, seen us and didn't care. He accepted mine and Raph's relationship along with Mikey and Splinter. Leo was the only one not in favor of it.  
“Yes, I'm all finished. Thank you Donny.”  
He nodded his head and came further into the room.  
“By the way, Leo is on his way here to work out. You might want to separate yourselves to avoid confrontation.” He snatched up his laptop and gave me his signature goofy smile.  
I nodded my head and he left.  
“Alright, you need to finish your work out. I'll be in lab with Donny.”  
I slid off his lap reluctantly. Raph stood and put his large three fingered hand on my chin, tipping my face back and bringing his lips to mine. I kissed him back before pulling away from him. I turned to leave and saw Leo in the doorway. Shoot. I tried really hard not to ever have public displays of affection in front of him. It only served to egg him on.   
One glance at his face and I turned mine down, avoiding his eyes and scampering quickly out of the room. I don't know why, but I desperately wanted Leo to approve of mine and Raph's relationship. It made me incredibly sad that he obviously didn't. 

I opened the door to my room and stopped dead. All my things were packed in two neat bags, sitting on the floor directly in front of the door. It was not a difficult gesture to understand. I shook my head and picked them up. Heavy, but not unmanageable.   
“Whoa, you going home?” Mikey stood in the door frame.  
“Seems that way,” I snapped. This could only be the work of Leo. Well, message received.  
“What's the matter Ava?” he asked. All the turtles were incredibly intuned to emotions and reading body language. I wasn't able to hide anything from them.  
“Why is Leo so against Raph and I?”  
Mikey scratched the back of his head and looked around. His blue eyes wouldn't meet mine.  
For me Mikey was the easiest to read. He was so incredibly innocent, not a mean bone in his body. He knew something, but I didn't want to put him on the spot.   
“It's time anyway,” I smiled at him. He gave me a goofy grin.   
“It'll be cool, you'll see.”  
I nodded my head. I heard yelling followed by the sound of fighting. I sighed.  
“I, uh, better go check that out,” Mikey's brow furrowed as he ran off down the hallway. I set the bags outside the door and did a slow once over of the room that had been mine since I arrived here. Bare walls, bare closet. It felt so empty. I felt so empty.   
“All packed?”   
I startled at Donny's voice.  
“Yeah.”  
“That was fast.”  
“I wasn't the one who packed them,” I sighed and turned around to face him. He looked puzzled for a moment before it dawned on him.   
“He's jealous. He was always the first to do everything. First to learn to fight, first to master the art, first to earn his weapon.”  
“But not first for a relationship,” I nodded.  
“Right. Sensei put him in charge because he trusts him to guide us. It is a lot of responsibility and he takes it very seriously. I trust Leo and will follow him without hesitation. But I don't condone his actions regarding you and Raph. Where he see's uncertainty and danger, I see hope. If you can accept us, to the point of caring for one of us as deeply as you care for Raph, it gives me hope that others will as well.”  
“Donny,” I sniffed, feeling tears spilling over. “I want you to know that I care for all of you. Not just Raph. You're my friends, my family.”  
Donny embraced me as I cried, rubbing my back and telling me about a new invention he was working on.  
“Ava,” Raph stopped in the doorway. He glanced to the bags on the floor and back to me in Donny's arms, tear stained face and red puffy eyes.  
“Ava,” the toothpick that had been in his mouth fell out. “What's the matter?”  
“I'm okay,” I smiled, slowly stepping away from Donny. “Just sad.”  
“You don't have ta go if you don't want too,” he was talking with his hands. He always talked with his hands when he didn't know what to say.  
“I think I do,” I nodded.  
“When she arrived from the weight room, her bags were packed and sitting in the doorway for her,” Donny informed him.  
“..Her...what?” I could tell he was angry, but not sure where to direct his anger.  
“Don't get angry,” I walked over to him.  
“Easy for you to say. My girl has to move out because my ass of a brother is a control freak.”  
Donny snorted out a laugh, which made me laugh.  
“That's better,” Raph smiled down at me. “I don't like it when ya cry.”  
“I'm not really a fan of it either,” I smiled.   
“It gets dark in about three hours. I'll map out our course for taking you home,” Donny spoke rapidly as he left.  
“That was fast,” I mumbled.   
“Shit,” was all Raph could say.  
“What were you and Leo fighting about?”  
“Same shit.”  
“You should be used to it by now. Why don't you just ignore him?” I asked, moving to sit on the bare bed.  
“Ya really want to know why?”  
“Yes.”  
He came and sat next to me. We were just barely touching one another, my feet dangling off the side and his firmly planted on the ground.  
“He asked me what I was going to do when you wanted more. Were we going to move in together, get married, have a couple mutant babies? He wanted to know how your dad was going to react when you introduced me ta him. He just kept going with it Ava. Just...shitting on everything.”  
Raph hung his head.  
“Hey,” I put a hand under his chin and made him turn to look at me. “I don't care what anyone thinks, if we ever come to any of those bridges, we'll figure it out then. For now, it's me and you.”  
It took him a second, but then he smiled. I returned it before leaning in to kiss him softly.  
“Mutant babies huh?” I wondered out loud to myself.  
“Yeah,” Raph shook his head as he grinned.  
“I bet they would be adorable,” I informed him. “I mean, look at what they would be working with for genetics....the only available option is cutest babies on earth.”  
Raph tipped his head back and laughed. It was his deep bellied, hearty laugh. I laughed along with him.   
“First, we have to practice making those babies,” he flashed me a wicked grin.  
“Ah yes. Practice makes perfect they say,” I winked at him. Now that the topic was breached, I had questions. I got up and scampered over to the door, shutting it. Raph looked at me like it was Christmas.   
“It's not what you're thinking Casanova. I just have some questions that I would prefer nobody else hear.”  
He nodded his head.  
“Is it possible, I mean, physically, for us to have sex?” I asked, reclaiming my previous seat.   
He looked away from me for a moment, and then back.  
“I think so.”  
“You have a penis, right?”  
“WHAT!? Of course I do!” I had to bite my lips to stop from laughing at his outburst.  
“Sorry, I really don't know much about your anatomy. Is it big?”  
He blanched.   
“This is strictly for educational purposes. I need to know if I am even physically capable of handling someone of your size.”  
Raph seemed to puff up at that. I made sure I worded it properly so that it stroked his ego.  
“So...?”  
“I don't know what to tell ya Ava,” he seemed frazzled.  
“I could ask Donny, he would..”  
“NO. This ain't any of his business,” his green eyes flashed for a moment.  
“Okay.”  
“You're going to ask him anyways, aren't you?”  
“Yeah.”  
He sighed.  
“Why?”  
“He would know if it was possible. He has medical knowledge, and I'm sure he's seen your penis at one point or another in his life. He is your brother after all. So with a little background information about me and my sex life..”  
“Wait. You're sex life?” Now I had his full attention.  
“Well yeah. I'm not a virgin, Raph. I was with the same guy for over three years.”  
He nodded his head.   
“If it makes you feel any better, he's the only one I was ever with. I never even had an orgasm until I bought a vibrator.”  
Raph burst out laughing.  
“That bad huh?”  
“Well I don't have anything to compare it too....” I shrugged.  
“Yet,” he grinned.  
“Yet,” I agreed.  
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us content to just be near one another.  
“So do I get a key to your house?” he asked suddenly.  
“Since when have you ever used a door?” I gently nudged him with my elbow. He grinned.


End file.
